Reader’s Choice: Most Read CUB Blogs in 2022

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Charlotte Shuff
Tags, Energy, General Interest

Foothills in Eastern Oregon with a blue sky, green grass in the foreground

Thank you to everyone who read, shared, and commented on CUB blog posts this year! From old classics to breaking news, our readers showed some major interest in utility issues. Here are the blogs that you couldn’t stop reading in 2022.

1) My Experience Switching to a Heat Pump Water Heater

CUB’s Senior Economist, Will Gehrke, talks about his experience switching to a heat pump water heater. Under ideal weather conditions, heat pump water heaters produce three times the energy used to power the heat pump. In other words, heat pump water heaters use one-third of the electricity of conventional electric water heaters. CUB estimates that the average residential customer would save $17 per month using a heat pump water heater.

2) Gas Myth: All Gas Appliances Work in Power Outages

Many households depend on natural gas for their heating, hot water, and cooking. But do you know which of your appliances will keep working if the electricity goes out? The answer may surprise you.

Read the blog to know what to expect from your gas appliances in an outage!

3) Portland General Electric Wants to Raise Customer Rates by $80 Million

In the summer of 2021, Portland General Electric (PGE) asked the Oregon Public Utility Commission to allow it to increase customer rates in 2022 by $80 million per year. This blog details what the utility requested and CUB’s work to protect customers. Ultimately, state regulators sided with CUB and slashed the 2022 rate increase to just $10 million this spring.

4) “What’s the RUB?” Utility Billing and Renters’ Rights

This blog on renters’ rights and utilities has been a fan favorite since it was first published last year! CUB’s Operations Manager, Thomas Jerin, details what protections renters have around their utilities. More than a third of Oregonians rent their homes but many of us don’t know about the protections we have.

5) My Experience Switching to an Electric Heat Pump

Former CUB staffer, Sudeshna Pal, talks about her experience moving to an electric heat pump for her home’s heating and cooling. These high-efficiency heating and cooling appliances are a great alternative to a traditional furnace and air conditioning. “How would I rate the heat pump on performance? I saw an immediate change in the way I felt indoors.”

Learn more about Sudeshna’s experience and how you can save on your energy bills with a heat pump!

6) Natural Gas Prices Are Going Up Before Winter

Oregon’s three natural gas utilities are preparing for another round of large bill increases. This August, they all filed their rate proposals for the winter heating season, which begins November 1. These increases have been approved and are now impacting customers’ bills.

7) Utilities 101: Understanding your Portland General Electric Bill

For many customers, understanding what goes into your monthly energy bill can be confusing. In this blog series, we will discuss how to understand your energy bill. This guide is for customers of Portland General Electric (PGE) who have standard bills.

8) Pacific Power Seeks Largest Residential Rate Increase in 20 Years

This year, Pacific Power wants to raise bills for Oregon households by 14%, or $106 million. For an average customer, this would be an additional $13.35 for their monthly bill. This proposed increase would be even worse on summer cooling bills, especially in Southern and Eastern Oregon. This case is set to be settled in the coming weeks.

9) Portland General Electric and Pacific Power File 2022 Power Cost Updates

Every year, Pacific Power and PGE seek to recover changes in their power costs from customers. Power costs fluctuate and account for fueling power plants and buying energy from developers and other utilities on the market. These cases are important because power costs are a major component of prices charged to customers. These bill increases are nearing approval and will go into effect in January.

10) Utilities 101: Understanding Your Pacific Power Bill

Stay in the Loop

Want the latest updates from CUB? Sign up for our email list! We’ll send information on upcoming issues, consumer tips, and how to take action on utility policies that affect you.